Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, is making big moves in the autonomous vehicle space. The company recently began testing its driverless taxis on public roads, with passengers in tow. Last week, Zoox employees rode in the self-driving taxi from the company’s Foster City headquarters to another office building in the city. This comes after the California Department of Motor Vehicles granted the company a driverless testing permit.
In the coming months, Zoox plans to offer full-time employees rides between offices during business hours. “Getting to be the world’s first passenger in a robotaxi with no manual controls on open public roads… was one of the highlights of my life,” said CTO Jesse Levinson. “I can’t wait for everyone to experience that magic.”
Zoox’s driverless taxi is unique compared to other autonomous taxi services because it was designed without controls, steering wheels, or pedals. The vehicle is solely for riders, not drivers. The company’s latest testing brings it “one step closer” to making its robotaxi available to the general public.
As more companies enter the autonomous vehicle market, it’s exciting to see progress being made. Who knows, it may not be long before we can all hail a ride in a self-driving taxi!